The Worst Kind of Poison
by PusillanimousBitch1138
Summary: Belladonna Dumbledore is a temporary Muggle Studies professor the year before Harry Potter came to Hogwarts. She and Snape fall in love. SnapexOC I took liberties with this, I realize. This is my explanation of why Snape is so unhappy from Harry's year on, just for fun. Please don't waste your time trying to shame me for liking Snape. I didn't write him, I just like him.


**This is a story about Severus Snape and an OC character, Belladonna, daughter of Dumbledore. I've taken a few liberties, obviously, but I have extensively researched timelines and facts and whatnot, so I promise I've tried really hard not to be too over-the-top with this, ok? Please don't bother shaming Snape to me, I recognize he isn't the best person, but I love his character a lot, ok? Also I should mention this now: This first chapter was done like four months ago, so I just now went through and retouched some stuff, so if there's a repetition I'm not catching, I'm sorry. I'm going to try to do better with future chapters.**

 **Anyway, this story takes place the year before Harry's first year at Hogwarts. There was a break in Muggle Studies teachers in this year and there isn't a lot of information on the professor for this specific school year, so I think it fits rather nicely. Belladonna is the temporary M.S. professor, she and Snape have some history, nothing that huge or impactful. So, review (don't waste your time reviewing Snape's character. I didn't design him, I'm just borrowing him. There's a slight possibility the way I write him will be not 100% in line with his character but honestly, we've never seen him happy so we don't know how he'll act.), and enjoy if you're so inclined.**

It was early morning when a knock at the door roused Severus from his sleep. It wasn't a gentle knock, the kind one might utilize when knowingly rousing somebody from sleep, but an urgent kind, the kind that brings bad news. And bad news was brought.

He went to the door and pulled it open a crack, blinking tiredly at the knocker. He straightened immediately upon seeing McGonagall's worried face illuminated in the light of her wand. "Minerva?" he said.

"Something terrible has happened, Severus. You must come with me immediately." She turned on her heel and hurried off without saying anything further. Severus took his wand from the table beside the door and hurried after, casting his own _lumos_. She led him through the dungeons to the first floor of the castle and to the infirmary. Dumbledore was there, sitting beside a bed while Madame Pomfrey stood to the side, mixing some sort of potion. "Severus, I must warn you for what you are about to see, and I hope that your nerves are as strong as you want everybody to believe they are. Belladonna has been in an accident." She put her arm on his and looked at him with extremely empathetic eyes. "It is likely that she won't… She won't make it in time for the carriage from St. Mungo's to collect her… You had better see to her."

* * *

Severus's favorite day of the year was always the first day of school. It was the only day he didn't have to directly interact with any of the students other than by greeting the new Slytherins at the end of the night, the only day he didn't have to instruct, have to stare into the stagnate, shallow stares of unimaginative brats. And watching the Sorting Ceremony was always fun, watching their nervous gazes, watching the Muggle-borns' confusion, the rivalry between the Houses feeding more and more with each new body. Every year, he challenged himself to guess which houses the students would be sorted into. It had been years since he had bested himself, garnering maybe three or four right guesses each year. His maximum was a whopping twelve correct guesses, a feat which he earned the first year he had ever taught.

This year, however, instead of delving right into the feast, Dumbledore commanded the attention of the entire hall, and he took up his place at the owl pedestal. "Ladies and gentlemen, I had hoped to be able to introduce this year's new professor before the feast, but alas, she has not yet arrived." Severus looked quizzically towards Dumbledore. None of the staff members had heard of this new professor, apparently, as most of them bore the same confused look. "However, I should like to at least tell you her name, and I hope that you all should meet her soon. As some of you may know, Professor Quirrell, the Professor of Muggle Studies, has chosen to take a sabbatical this year. As such, I have asked someone very dear to me to step in and fill his shoes, so to speak. The person whom I have asked to undertake this role happens to be my—," With a flurry of hot, summer air the doors to the Great Hall flew open and a young, somewhat pudgy woman ran into the hall before skidding comically to a stop once she realized all eyes were on her. She sighed and blew her hair out of her face, straightened her cloaks, and began to walk gracefully towards the staff table. "Ah, here she is now. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the temporary Professor of Muggle Studies, Belladonna Dumbledore."

The Hall blew up in energetic chatter, each conversation just as confused as the next. "Dumbledore?" they whispered. "Surely it can't be." "He couldn't have a...could he?"

The woman chuckled nervously and waved her hand, nodding in greeting as she passed. She came to stand beside Professor Dumbledore, who greeted her with a hug and cheek kisses. He turned back to the students and waved his hands in a quieting motion. "Professor Dumbledore has requested that everyone should refer to her by first name, so as to avoid confusion. Please welcome her and accept her as one of your own, and show her nothing but the utmost kindness."

He smiled at her and gestured for her to take the empty seat between Snape and Hagrid, the latter of whom had asked about rather loudly and frequently. "And with that, let the feast begin!" He clapped his hands, the familiar piles of food appeared, and he took his seat in the middle of the High Table.

Belladonna turned to Hagrid and shook his hand. "It's good to see you, Hagrid," she said, her voice warm and strong. Hagrid chattered happily with her for a few moments before she turned towards Snape. "It's lovely to see you, as well, Severus." She smiled brightly and held out her hand to him to shake.

He stared blankly at it, confusion plain across his face. "You… know me?" he asked, hesitantly taking her hand.

She blinked, not registering his confusion for a few seconds before she smiled. "I suppose you don't remember me. We were in the same class year, but it's no matter. I didn't expect you'd remember. I'm Belladonna."

He nodded slightly and released her soft hand. She smiled again at him before she began to work on filling her plate. He took the opportunity to study her. She wasn't thin by any means, nor was she grossly obese, but her beauty was genuine, classic. Her hair was wind struck, with a small leaf stuck amidst its dark brown mess of curls, and it fell just slightly past her shoulders. Her skin was pale and creamy except for her cheeks and her nose which were dashed with a hint of pink, whether from cold or the effort of running. Her lips were a light red, stark against her skin, and full, almost pouty. Her eyes were large and wide and of a light green, almost the same green as the sea foam he had seen on a summer excursion to Albania at the behest of Dumbledore. She looked quite young, no more than 25. How she was in the same year as him was a mystery. She wore on a necklace a small vial containing some sort of black powder he couldn't readily identify, stoppered with a simple wooden cork. His eyes lingered perhaps too long upon where the vial lay settled between her obviously ample breasts. Chagrin overtook him immediately as she said, "And you're Head of Slytherin House, am I right?"

He watched her, absent-mindedly scooping peas onto his plate. "Yes, that's right. I also serve the position of Potions Master." He began to work preparing his own plate.

He buttered a roll, observing her strange ritual of mixing her vegetables with her mashed potatoes. She stopped suddenly and looked over to him, a frown upon her face. She leaned closer so as to not be overheard, and he followed suit. "You know, Professor Snape, I never did agree with how that Potter boy treated you. Of course I don't fully know the circumstances, but that kind of behavior is just inexcusable."

He smiled awkwardly.

"I always wanted to say something, to stand up for you, but my boyfriend refused to let me. I'm just so sorry you had to endure all that, especially after Miss Evans…" Her eyes grew wide and she blushed furiously, returning to her food. He noted she put food in her mouth with her spoon held upside down.

Belladonna paused, the serving spoon for the pudding held precariously above her bowl. She tilted her head in concentration, staring out into the mass of students before she squeaked and looked to him. "Oh my goodness, I remember you now!" She frowned suddenly and leaned closer. "I never did agree with how that Potter boy and his friends treated you. I always wanted to say something but my boyfriend wouldn't allow me. I'm so sorry you had to endure all that, especially after Miss Evans…" She trailed off, realizing suddenly that it wasn't her place, and she coughed, looking towards her food. She shoved a large spoonful of pudding into her mouth, blushing deeply. He noted that she held the spoon upside down in her mouth. To be quite frank he thought it was slightly endearing.

He continued to observe her, eating slowly. She was still so unfamiliar to him, he couldn't for the life of him remember her. "My apologies, Miss Dumbledore—"

"Belladonna, please" She smiled at him.

"Belladonna, but I'm afraid I still don't recognize you. I don't even remember you being sorted."

She swallowed her bite of pudding and spoke with her hand over her mouth. "Oh, well that's sort of a funny story. You see, I had missed the train. I woke up very late and we were out of Floo Powder so it was just a mess. I ended up having to go to the Ministry to use my mother's office-based fireplace. I had been living with my father in Godric's Hollow at the time, you see, and he was most displeased at my tardiness." She giggled.

Severus nodded knowingly. "I see. How unfortunate."

"Yes, I was grounded for seemingly forever. It was alright though, in the end. They sorted me in private, in the Headmaster's office. It took the hat three whole minutes to decide where to place me. Ultimately, he put me in Slytherin, although I feel now as though he should have put me in the other choice—Hufflepuff."

He nodded again but felt the tapping of a hand on his shoulder. He looked at the girl and said quietly, "Excuse me."

She smiled widely and turned to Hagrid, both chattering animatedly.

Severus turned to the recently deceased Professor Binns, begrudgingly falling into an extraordinarily dry debate over the origins of the Amortentia potion.

The girl's sweet voice was always within his hearing, however, and it filled him with an unfamiliar warmth.

* * *

The first week of classes went pretty much as expected. Most first years got lost on their way to classes, the Weasley Twins got into Snape's potion closet and made off with a large bit of his wares, the prefects had noses browner than the dirt in Professor Sprout's greenhouse, and more than a few fights broke out amongst Slytherin and Gryffindor, primarily over Slytherin bragging about winning the House Cup for the five years previous.

Each meal, Belladonna arrived just a tad late, but it quickly became an accepted tradition. Nobody looked towards the doors anymore as she scurried her way into the Great Hall. Except for Snape, of course. The girl intrigued him.

Dumbledore had "accidentally" let it slip to Flitwick that Belladonna was a very talented musician and vocalist. The imp immediately jumped on the opportunity to recruit her into joint teaching the choir with him.

Snape had once walked past her classroom on a rather warm Thursday and paused just outside her door when he heard it: A record was playing in the corner of the room, dusty and old but still beautiful, a French woman's strong voice pouring out from the pavilion, but hers was not the only voice singing. Snape poked his head in the door and saw a classroom full of students, and at the front stood Belladonna, back turned, swaying to the hauntingly sad composition, her chest rising and falling in appropriate time with the chanteuse on the record. He had realized then that it was her voice he was hearing, her voice that was making his heart ache, her voice that was cracking under the sorrow contained within the song. He watched her for a moment before the song ended and she seemed to wipe her eyes before turning around. Her tear-stroked face brightened considerably when she saw him and she waved. He ducked out of view quickly before the students could see him, and he leaned against the wall for a moment. She had gone on to explain the importance of music in Muggle culture, the roles it played in society especially among young people. Belladonna then scuttled around for a moment before a newer, crisper sound echoed through the hall. "Now, admittedly, I'm not that hip with the trends, and this song is actually from a Muggle movie and I just adore the crap out of it." The class laughed slightly.

The record played a gentle false-piano intro before a man's voice filled the space, talking about sad love and pale jewels in someone's eyes. The class chuckled and he poked his head in again, smiling instantly. She was intentionally dancing badly, joining in with the man's singing. The song was not exciting in the least, although her classes seemed to thoroughly enjoy the movie it came from—something about a baby being stolen and goblins and a man with bad hair and tight pants, although their enjoyment most likely came from the fact that Belladonna refused to not speak and sing along with the movie every time she showed it—, just a subtle love ballad, but watching her sway was enough to hold his interest. She caught his eye again and smiled as she sang, not moving her gaze. The familiar warmth filled him again and he smiled softly back at her before he nodded his head and continued on his way to the dungeons, the warmth reaching from his toes to his nose. That night he had laid in bed, a smile on his face, and dreamed peacefully for the first time in years.


End file.
